Temperatures in France rise again as forecasts predict ‘historic' heatwave
Around 90 precent of France is set to experience very high temperatures in the days ahead, w
ith only the Channel coast spared from the worst of the heat.
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The searing heat spreading across the Mediterranean from the Iberian peninsula to the Balkans and Greece has prompted health warnings for residents and tourists plus fears of wildfires, and comes as climate scientists warn that galloping human-induced climate change is causing more extreme weather.
Orange weather alerts are already in place for the départements of
Pyrénées-Orientale, Hérault, Gard and Vaucluse along the Mediterranean coast, with temperatures expected to reach 38C in places.
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And national forecaster Météo-France has provisionally placed Var, Vaucluse, Alpes-de-Hautes-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Haute-Corse, Ardèche, Drome, Rhône and Isère on orange alert for high temperatures for Saturday.
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The heat will then spread further north and toward the centre of the country over the weekend, Météo-France warned in its latest bulletin, adding that orange weather alerts were likely to be extended to additional départements across the weekend and into next week.
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It said surface sea temperatures from the Mediterranean were an 'aggravating factor' that could make nights 'more stifling' along the coast.
Peaks as high as 39C on Saturday are expected as the heatwave beds in exactly six years to the day after
Verargues, Hérault, experienced the highest temperature ever recorded in France
. Many other stations in the south-east recorded highs exceeding 44C.
The heat this time is forecast to be particularly intense in the Rhône Valley, Provence, and lower Garonne Valley.
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'Avoid iced water and air-conditioning on max' - How the French stay cool in a heatwave
In the south-east, as well as the area between Bordeaux and Pays de la Loire, the mercury is set to reach as high as 40C on Sunday – with little respite in store for several days, experts say.
Local temperatures this year are not expected to reach the absolute highs of 2019 – but local records may be broken and the national average is expected to hit a new high on Monday as the country swelters.
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Forecasters predict highs of 42C in Aquitaine, 41C in from the Loire Valley to the Sarthe, and 40C in the south-east of the country on Monday.
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Tuesday is expected to be a near-repeat of Monday, with temperatures hitting 40C as far north as the Centre-Val de Loire and part of the Massif Central, with night-time temperatures forecast to remain above 25C in urban areas, which could make sleeping difficult.
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The heatwave will gradually shift north and north-east, with temperatures rising to between 38C and 40C as far north as Hauts-de-France, Champagne, and Alsace, while – further south and west – some relief finally starts to arrive from the Atlantic.
This heatwave is part of a recurring and ongoing pattern caused by an anti-cyclone firmly anchored over the western Mediterranean, which blocks disturbances and promotes the rise of very hot air from the Sahara.
The very hot conditions are likely to continue well into early July, as this pattern could continues.
And, although a temporary drop in temperatures could occur in the middle of next week, medium-term signals point towards a warm July, with the risk of further heatwaves.
Some medium-term weather models already predict another heat blast in the early part of the following week.
You can find all the latest weather warnings, plus essential information and health advice for a heatwave, in our heatwave section
HERE
.
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